


Once I Met a Stranger

by nosmokingpistol



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22093921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nosmokingpistol/pseuds/nosmokingpistol
Summary: Captain Jack Harkness needs to be wanted, and he can wait -- he has all the time in the Universe.
Relationships: The Doctor/Jack Harkness
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	Once I Met a Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> ONE

It had gone well at the hatchery. The Doctor had given Margaret Slitheen a chance at a life free from the influence of her corrupt and murderous family. "Everyone deserves a second chance" the Doctor had said as he set the TARDIS to idle in the Vortex. Later they sat in the library sipping wine and reviewing the events of the day, and Jack couldn't help but think that he had been given a rebirth of sorts as well. In that moment, sitting by the fire with his new companions, he'd felt at peace.

As the evening wore on Rose was dozing with her head in the Doctor's lap, all pink and soft in flannel pyjamas, whilst the Doctor was absorbed in a historical volume about D'Apde Rud. He tutted and shook his head. "They got it wrong, Rud didn't compose the Lost Symphony of Agetine, Ruk did!" He looked up at Jack and grinned. "I should know—I'm the one that finally found it!" He smiled that big, goofy grin of his and tossed the book aside. Jack poured himself another glass and gestured towards the Time Lord.

"Buy you that drink now Doctor? Maybe a little dance later?"

"No. Thanks, but...no." In that moment Jack knew he wasn't referring only to the wine. He shrugged and leaned against the mantle.

"So, tomorrow—fourteenth century Japan. They must have some really great tea!"

"Thirteen hundred and thirty six—the Battle of Minatogawa. Shogun warriors at their finest. Takauji won but watch Yoshisada's battle strategy, it's like poetry."

"And after that? Am I staying on board?" Do you want me to stay? Please want me.

"Yeah, sure, I suppose so. My TARDIS doesn't seem to mind." He idly brushed a lock of hair off of Rose's face and smiled as she wrinkled her nose, still sleeping. "Rose seems fond of you."

Jack nodded and took a long draught of his wine. It wasn't quite the answer he'd hoped for but he considered himself an optimist. People change. Maybe Time Lords did too.

*** *** ***

Jack stumbled down the hallway leaving trails of Dalek dust in his wake. Satellite 5 was silent as he scrabbled his way to Floor 500. His breath came in ragged gasps in time with his thoughts—DoctorDoctorDoctorDoctor--and he thought his lungs would burst as he raced down corridor after corridor towards the Time Lord. His heart pounded in his chest--and then broke as he heard the familiar grinding sound and watched the blue box dematerialize before him.

He waited. Surely he had been detected by the TARDIS sensors. The Doctor would come back for him. He'd gone off to get Rose, and they'd come back. Except they didn't. Jack waited five days surrounded by the stench of death before he could admit to himself that he'd been deliberately left behind. He wasn't wanted--and no matter what the circumstances, Captain Jack Harkness promised himself, he would never again go where he wasn't wanted.

TWO

The Year That Never Was. The year of sadistic games to amuse the Master. Jack watched him die in the Doctor's arms, and watched the Time Lord howl with grief. The bastard was dead and Jack was glad and he just wanted to get off the fucking Valiant and go home.

"I really don't mind though—come with me!" the Doctor said, smiling merrily.

Jack rambled on about his team, about responsibility, but really he just wanted to get the hell away from the man who wept over his torturer and then offered to take him on board as what? A reward? Thanks for everything Jack and oh by the way. Fuck it.

THREE

Jack stood on a hill at the outskirts of Cardiff and waited for Gwen. The Earth was too small to hide in now. How do you hide from memories anyway? he thought. Where do you look for absolution? He doubted he'd find it on a cold fusion cruiser but it was a start.

He felt it before he heard it, a prickling on the back of his neck and heaviness in the air. The TARDIS materialized ten feet away and the Doctor stood in the doorway and said nothing. His eyes were huge and dark and he was pretending to smile but it wasn't a smile, not really. Jack's flesh crawled and all of the questions he had promised himself he would ask if he ever saw the Doctor again rose in him like bile.

"Where the hell were you? We needed you and I had to kill my beautiful Steven, my daughter's boy, I had to. I had to. Ianto's gone, he's dead. Did you know about them? Did you know they were here? Do you even care?" he spat. The Doctor took a few steps towards him and at first Jack thought he was laughing. But it wasn't a laugh; it was a wail or maybe a scream that strangled in his throat. He stepped closer and clutched at the hem of Jack's sleeve.

"Come with me. Come with me Jack and we can go back and I'll do it. I'll do it, I swear I can do it, their planet will be dust before they learn to crawl and I'll do it for you Jack."

Jack backed away a few feet. The Doctor was crying now and that frightened Jack, but what frightened him the most was that he wanted to say yes. Do it. What's a little genocide between friends?

"Jack, come with me, please, please come with me. All right, I won't do it, okay? I promise I won't but please please..."

The Doctor was mad. Or broken--Jack tried not to care which it was. "Get the hell out of here, Doctor" he growled. "Just...go."

The Doctor stumbled back to the TARDIS and stood in the doorway looking back. His voice was a rasp and a prayer. "Please. I need someone to stop me." Jack didn't answer. He buttoned his coat to the damp and the chill and stared at the ground. He heard a shaky sigh and what might have been a whimper, and he looked up again. The Doctor held his gaze, eyes clear now, and lucid, and infinitely sad. “I’m going to die, Jack.”

Jack swallowed. Despite everything, despite every fucking thing he still loved the bastard—so he broke his own heart, what was left of it, and spoke his own truth. “Maybe it’s time” he said gently. Jack stood silently as the Doctor shut the door and the TARDIS ghosted away, and waited for Gwen.

FOUR

Jack Harkness walked down Santa Monica Boulevard chuckling to himself. He'd gone to the Troubadour and flirted across the room with the quintessential blonde babe whilst the Kooks sang their hearts out. It had been going well, he thought—but then he'd chatted her up at the break and said "vibe". What the hell was he thinking?

I like this place, it has a great vibe. Vanessa--or was it Vicky?--had laughed and told him he sounded like her dad before patting his arm and making a beeline for the lanky twenty-something slouching in the corner. Goddess, he was an idiot. And, apparently, giving off a middle-aged-dad vibe. Fuck. He needed more to drink.

He had the Normandie Room in sight and could practically taste the Milagro in a Fuzzy Mexican when he heard it—the familiar heaving grind of the TARDIS coming from the alley up ahead. By the time he'd reached it a youthful looking flop-haired man in a tweed jacket and rolled up skinnies was eagerly approaching him.

"Jack! Hello, it's me!" he said as he leaned in quickly and air kissed Jack's cheeks, much to the time agent's amusement. "So, you're in L.A. now. The city of angels! Although I hope they're not weeping angels, I've had quite enough of them! Great place though, one of my wives used to live here. Good old Marilyn!"

Jack was taken aback. "One of your wives?"

The Doctor laughed. "Ha hah, yes, although Queen Bess is a bit of a gray area, I’m still not sure if it was legal. Canon law and all that. I'm married now as a matter of fact! Lovely woman, River Song. She reminds me of you except she has spectacular...erm ..." He cupped his hands to his chest and waggled what passed for his eyebrows. "We don't see each other very often, though. She's in prison. Well, you can't have everything, can you?"

Jack laughed out loud and shook his head. "Not remotely—although Alonso was nice, while it lasted, so thanks for that." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I'm glad to see you're in a better mood than the last time we talked."

"Yes, well...about that." The Doctor studied his boots for a moment and when he looked up his expression had darkened. "It had been a bad day. Well—technically it was a Martian day, which is 2.7% longer than an Earth day, so it was extra bad. Very bad."

"So I gathered." Jack said, and waited for more. When the Time Lord spoke again it was obvious that he was more than a little ashamed.

"I didn't know, Jack, about them, because I wasn't paying attention. I turned off the TARDIS alerts because I couldn’t be bothered. I was too busy running."

"Running from...?"

The Doctor looked down at his body and when he looked up he wore the ghost of a smile. He drew an air circle around himself. "This."

Jack returned his smile. "Oh, I don't know, not so bad--I could get used to it." Jack could have sworn the Doctor blushed. Neither man spoke for a long moment, but each knew forgiveness had been given and gratefully accepted. "So, Doc—why are you here?"

"Like I said, I wanted to apologise. I should have been there when you needed me. I seem to be quite rubbish at that. And I am sorry."

Jack nodded. "I could have used your help over the summer, though. That's what brought me here. Had to sacrifice myself to save the planet—again!"

"Was that before or after I saved the Universe—again?" the Doctor chortled. "Ah, look at us--reluctant heroes, we." He shook his head. "I also wanted to thank you. I don't think I ever have, not properly." He didn't have to enumerate the times Jack had saved his hide. They both knew.

The Doctor gestured vaguely towards the TARDIS sitting in the shadows at the far end of the alley. "I thought...if you'd like...you could travel with me again. Properly this time, with full rights and privileges! My co-pilot."

Jack raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Don't you mean your guardian?"

"What? No, I--oh! Yes, I get it. No, I have plenty of people to keep me in line these days. There's Amy and Rory—you'd like them, they're married too—and I have a friend, a proper friend, Craig. And River of course."

"Then why?"

"I just...wanted to try and give something back to you. Not that it would ever..." He cleared his throat. "I suppose I could just give you a tie, but that seems a little inadequate—unless you'd prefer a tie. Do you like bow ties? Bow ties are cool! Or maybe a fez..."

Jack smiled fondly as the Doctor babbled on. Something about this one was different—it was subtle, but Jack could see it. This one was trying very hard to move forward and not let the past rule his lives. The Captain knew the effort involved in letting go--and if this one was trying to get in touch with his feelings as well, then surely somewhere pigs were flying and Daleks were ice skating in Hell.

He reached out and cupped the Doctor’s face, pressed his lips to that impressive forehead, and rested them there a long moment. “Thank you. Thank you for that.” He pulled back and smiled again. “But my answer is no.”

The Doctor looked a bit confused. “Wait...what? Is that ‘no’ to the TARDIS or ‘no’ to the tie?”

Jack’s smile grew even bigger. “Both!” he exclaimed. “And trust me, bow ties are not cool. Gotta run, Doc—I’ve got a Fuzzy Mexican waiting for me.” He noted the look of disappointment on the Doctor’s face and placed a short but tender kiss at the corner of the Time Lord’s mouth. “You be good to yourself, Doctor.”

Jack turned and headed up the alley towards the Boulevard. The Doctor watched the other man swagger away and smiled as he felt his pulse rates increase a little. “You too, Jack” he whispered softly before heading back to his TARDIS.

FIVE

A dry wind blew across the little cemetery outside Penarth, making soft music through the branches of the sycamore and oak trees there. Captain Jack Harkness stooped and placed a small bouquet of violets on the new grass just beginning to cover Gwen Cooper's grave. Happy birthday, beautiful. He reached up to the simple granite head stone and brushed away the dried leaves gathered at its base. Rhys, you big idiot. Better be looking after her.

"I thought I might find you here today." Jack looked up and grinned as the attractive woman with the short-cropped gray hair and her mother's smile approached. "The least you could have done was bring cake!"

"Jaffa Breath!" Anwen Williams-Lloyd picked up her pace and flew into Jack's waiting arms. He hugged her tightly. "How's my girl?"

"I'm at sixes and sevens, if I'm honest. Marty's a week past her due date. I never knew becoming a Gran could be so stressful!" Her smile faded as they stood arm in arm, and she fought back tears. "She loved being a Gran. She'll never know my babies' babies."

"No. But they'll know her, and your Da. You and Billy will make sure of it." He looked out over the well-kept expanse for a moment before turning to face her. "She was the last, Anwen. The last of..." His voice caught, and he swallowed hard. "The last of mine. It's Rex's Torchwood--has been for a long, long time. I've just been a ghost, lingering in the shadows. It's time for me to move on."

Anwen threw her arms around him again. "You'll forget us. You'll forget me."

Jack kissed the top of her head, rested his cheek there and breathed in the scent of her. "Never. Never in a million years, I promise. And you'll see me again. We'll dance at your grandson's wedding." They clung to each other for a long while until Anwen pulled away and pushed a button on the tiny mobile vibrating on her wrist.

"It's Marty! It's time. She's already at the birthing centre!" She looked up at Jack and frowned slightly. "I need to go."

"Yes, you do." He kissed her cheek and called after her as she trotted towards her car. "Tell Marty her Uncle Jack sends his love!" Anwen answered with a wave as she got into her car. The roar of the old Fiat's engine as she drove away masked the sound of the TARDIS materialising under a nearby oak tree.

Jack gazed at the two names engraved on the smooth stone. He didn't believe in Heaven. He didn't believe in any sort of afterlife, although he was sure he'd had glimpses of Hell. But he hoped there was a place where Gwen and her Rhys were still bickering over pizza toppings and making sweet love, and laughing at old screwball comedies.

He was suddenly overcome with a sense of loss. Everyone he'd truly loved had left him and he had never felt so alone. He'd seen and done so much in his long, extraordinary existence, and he knew there would be wonders ahead of him. It felt right to leave this part of his life, this world behind and yet he felt he had nowhere to go. His eyes filled with tears, and he choked back a sob. Lost in thought, he never heard the stranger approach and flinched when he heard the soft, gentle voice of the man standing next to him.

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. Wise man, Gibran. Only those with a great capacity for love can feel such heartbreak when those we've loved are gone."

Jack turned his head and looked at the man, who stood with his hands shoved in the pockets of snug denims sheathing long slender legs. He noted the shabby cardigan worn over a gleaming white tee, and the scuffed black Gibsons loosely tied. He was certainly handsome with his ginger hair and twinkling green eyes, but when the man smiled Jack felt sure that they had never met before. There was a kindness in that achingly sweet smile that would have been unforgettable. And yet--there was something familiar.

Another breeze came up, and suddenly the scent of the man, the scent of sage and cinnamon and heady musk reached Jack, and the man smiled again as he tipped his head towards the blue box in the distance. "Hello, Captain" the Doctor said as he reached over with an elegant hand to gently brush away the tears now rolling down Jack's face. He turned towards the headstone, sighing as he rubbed slow circles on Jack's back. "Fifty-two years for you since we last met. Slightly more for me."

Jack nodded. "It seems like a lifetime."

The Doctor chuckled at that. "Oh, more than one. Too many, and never enough—and yet each worthwhile."

Jack turned to the Time Lord, eyes dry now, and looked at him with something like amusement. "You seem so different. Kind of...I don't know...Zen!"

"I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two along the way, yes! And the most important thing I've learned, Jack, the most important thing in the whole wide Universe...is that there is always a beautiful tomorrow. Always."

The Captain snorted and pulled a face. "That's it? Lifetimes spent exploring all of time and space and it all comes down to a verse on a greeting card?"

"Well--the most profound truths are often the simplest, aren't they? And this is the truth, Jack, for us—we are heroes. There is always something bad, out there..." the Doctor waved vaguely at the sky. "There is always struggle, and despair, and loss. But we confront it, we fight it, because that's what heroes do."

Jack shook his head. "No. Because sometimes we lose, and people die. Planets die."

"Oh, we don't always win, we're not Gods. We can't save everyone. Sometimes we can't even save ourselves! But at the end of the day, at the ends of our many lives--if some universe, some world, if a single solitary someone has a beautiful tomorrow that they would never have had because we were there fighting for them...doesn't that make it all worthwhile? And isn't that just fantastic!"

"Yeah" Jack croaked, barely able to speak as a wave of emotion rolled over him. He cleared his throat and prepared himself for an answer that might very well break his heart. "Simple question--why are you here, Doctor?"

"Simple answer--I'm here because I want you to come with me."

"But why do you—"

"Jack!" The Doctor stepped closer, reached down and took Jack's hand, slowly intertwining their fingers. He brought them up to his cheek, closed his eyes, and held them there for a moment before kissing Jack's hand and looking deeply into his eyes. "Jack. I want you to come with me."

The Time Lord smiled that smile that went straight to Jack's heart and as the time agent murmured his reply he felt a happiness and purpose that he had missed for oh, so many years. He disengaged their hands and took a step back. "There's just one thing before we go" he said. He unbuttoned his long coat--the coat that had been his trademark, his touchstone, his comfort—and took it off. He held it to his face, breathing in the dust of the ages before carefully folding it and propping it against the gravestone at his feet. Under the canopy of an ancient oak tree the TARDIS waited patiently, ready to take her two heroes into their own bright and beautiful tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Is that Tom Hiddleston as the Zen Doctor in my manip?? Why yes, yes it is.


End file.
